GINA

We have sped up the arrival of fire fighters and rescuers in up to a third of accidents. Through us they can share important information, communicate effectively and coordinate their arrival.

We are GINA Software.

A 10 minute read

“In the beginning we had the idea for a student project. Thanks to JIC STARCUBE we started a company and today we have 20 employees. Our technology is used by private companies and the UN. GINA Software has helped save lives in South Moravia region, in Haiti and in Japan.”

Founder and director GINA software

Zbyněk Poulíček from BUT was searching for a topic for his thesis. Originally he intended to programme mapping software for use in tourism, but then, together with his friends Boris Procházka and Petra (Bačíková) Černá, he saw footage from Haiti.

It was 2010 and the Caribbean country had suffered a devastating earthquake. Reporters discovered people alive in the rubble, but there was nobody to help them. At that moment everything became clear – the new software GINA (Geographical Information Assistant) would assist emergency and security agencies.

No victory, but praised by Bill Gates

The original software was reworked as a map application allowing navigation and communication between teams in the field. On a single map they can see their current location and get information about traffic flow, thus helping shorten journey time. These valuable minutes can decide people’s lives.

The GINA technology won the national round. In the international round it did not get through to the final stages, but it intrigued the BBC and was glowingly mentioned by Bill Gates. The humanitarian organisation Hands for Help then used it in practice for dealing with the consequences of the earthquake in Haiti.

GINA helps the South Moravian emergency services and scientists

Today the system is used not only by the emergency services, but also by naturalists mapping the incidence of rare species. In the South Moravia region it has become part of the integrated rescue system and helps fire fighters and the rescue services coordinate their joint actions.

The trio of founders were helped in the beginning by the JIC STARCUBE accelerator. Since the time of the annual programme, the student project has become the successful company GINA Software. The entrepreneurs have stayed in the JIC and continued cooperation with experts who have advised them on questions of development and expansion into foreign markets.

GINA returns to Haiti. This time, with the UN

Although it has been on the market for only a few years, GINA has won a tender from the United Nations (UN). From 2015 members of the UNDP (the United Nations Development Programme) agency began to use the system in Haiti. Using portable hardware such as a tablet and GINA software interlinks responding units and locates people and vehicles in the field.

The company GINA Software develops mapping systems for mobile devices. It allows navigation through difficult terrain, coordination of teams and efficient exchange of geographical information.

Developers closely cooperate with operational participants – with rescue workers, people from the security sector, environmentalists and mappers. As a result, GINA Software corresponds exactly to their needs.

The flagship product of the company, GINA System, is available worldwide. In addition to the EU, the company has sales representatives in Haiti and Japan. Its main business partners are Motorola Solutions, Ercom (France) and Microsoft.

The system has received many awards, the most significant being the victory in the Imagine Cup competition organised by Microsoft.